


Among Us

by theliteraltrash



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Animal Death, Dark Lydia Martin, Dark Stiles Stilinski, Dead Laura Hale, Deception, During Canon, F/M, Homicidal Ideation, Horror, Lydia Martin & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, M/M, Minor Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore, Murder, Neglect, Obsession, Pre-Canon, Secrets, Serial Killer Stiles Stilinski, Sociopath Stiles Stilinski, Stalking, Stiles-centric, Unhealthy Relationships, animal cruelty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-03 22:45:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15828465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theliteraltrash/pseuds/theliteraltrash
Summary: In which obsession leads to new discoveries. Stiles knows that he and Lydia have a connection. When she makes a mistake and he catches her, she realizes it too.Stiles would do absolutely anything for Scott, but Scott can never know his secret.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> please dont expect regular updates im gonna be writing this whenever i get inspiration for it. the plan is for it to span across the first three seasons.  
> also? i dont like,,, condone any of their actions i just like writing horror

_"Decieving others. This is what the world calls a romance." - Oscar Wilde_

 

Stiles knew it would be easy. He was the sheriff’s son and he had an alibi. There was no evidence linking him to the scene of the murder. It was exhilarating; knowing he was getting away with it. They couldn't even find a body to identify. They just knew the principal was missing and that his job was being taken by a younger man, just out of college. 

 

Why would Stiles pick the principal of his school? He was delinquent who had frequent trips to the office, he could be a suspect. Well, he had overheard the principal talking about Scott, and he didn't like what he heard. He did Scott a favor, but he would never know of the gift that he had bestowed upon him. Scott could never know the truth. He always showed pity for the most recent victim of a murder in Beacon Hills. He didn't understand why Stiles just saw them as what they were; bodies. Stiles did notice that someone had seemed to have something in common with him. 

 

He always noticed Lydia Martin, the way she and Jackson discussed the recent tragedies with their clique. Danny always told them to have a little respect. Jackson would roll his eyes and Lydia would smile innocently. They both had a charade, Jackson played tough and macho while Lydia played sweet and innocent. Stiles wanted to approach Lydia, tell her he knows about the animals she would dissect after school for "science". 

 

The only problem was that she would never in a million years give him the time of day. He decided he would put her in the pot of water and watch as it slowly boiled and she didn't notice the temperature rising. He'd jab her with his knowledge once she trusted him. She would probably take the news of what really happened to the principal better than Scott would. Maybe she could even help with the next one. It would be a dream come true to have a partner; he would take Lydia since Scott would never lay a hand on someone if he knew it would end their life. So, Stiles resigned to waiting. He waited for her to make a mistake.

 

She did. She made the mistake of bringing the cat to the school. She was in the bio lab after everyone had left. Everyone except Stiles. Well, he had left but he followed her back to the school. He had even brought his backpack with him. He held his textbook in his hand as he watched her through the window in the door. She had brought her own supplies, and was dropping the cat hair in the trash bag she had on the chair next to her. He watched as she lifted the scalpel, feeling his breath hitch when she brought the blade to the skin.

 

This was his in, he opened the door and pretended to be shocked. “Lydia?” He stopped in his tracks and widened his eyes.

 

She jolted to attention and dropped the scalpel. “Hi! I was just…” she obviously didn't have an excuse ready. 

 

Stiles closed the door and took slow strides to her. He noticed how she watched him. “Y'know… you shouldn't do this stuff on campus. Anyone could walk in; we wouldn't want the janitor to see you participating in a little animal cruelty. Would we?” His voice was even and he smirked at her.

 

She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. “And who might you be?” She asked. 

 

He pulled out a chair from the table in front of hers and sat, his arms folded on the back rest. “Stiles, we've had classes together since third grade,” he shrugged.

 

She nodded, seeming like she might recognize him. “Sheriff's son?”

 

He nodded and licked his lips. She did recognize him. “You and I have a lot in common,” he glanced at the corpse in front of her. “Only, I had my fun with animals in middle school. You on the other hand, seem to be connected to a lot of the neighborhood pets that went missing this year.”

 

She stared into his eyes, and he noticed a spark of mischief in her eyes. Mischief practically was his name, he noticed it immediately. “Have you been stalking me?” She asked, to the untrained ear this might have sounded like irritation, Stiles knew it was just a game. He was good with games. 

 

He shrugged. “I would prefer the term observing from a distance,” he decided to say.

 

“What do you want? You don't seem like the normal creep to  _ observe from a distance _ to see a girl in the shower,” the corners of her lips turned up.

 

Stiles grabbed her scalpel and carefully examined it. “I want to help you.”

 

Lydia scoffed and took the tool from his hand. Her fingers grazed his skin and he suddenly felt like he was buzzing. “You want to help me?” She asked as she finished opening the cat up. 

 

Stiles noticed her eyes glazed over at the sight. He barely spared it a glance. “I know how to get away with what you so desperately want to do. I know the ins and outs of how the station solves cases, and I have personal experience.”

 

This brought her attention back to him. “You did it,” it wasn't a question, and Stiles didn't need her to specify. 

 

He nodded, her interest piqued. “So, what do you say?” He asked, his smirk now a smile.

 

She licked her lips and glanced down at the table. “Let's start by cleaning this up.”

 

“That's an excellent start.”

 

They didn’t interact around other people, Stiles respected her desire to not change the status quo at school. Stiles continued telling Scott that he as going to woo her and that he was in love with her, while Lydia pretended she had never heard of a kid named Stiles. They were both good at pretending, Stiles had a history of compulsively lying while Lydia had an entirely fake personality just for social situations. He admired that about her, he doesn’t have the attention span to pretend to be an entirely different person around the clock.

 

What Stiles liked about just being a face in the crowd was that he could go unnoticed. Most people just saw him as the sheriff’s weird son, and they weren’t wrong, but they didn’t have the whole picture. They never would. He knows that no one suspects him of being capable of the things he does, they just see him as odd or obnoxious. If you were to have a line of suspects for a murder, Stiles would probably be the last to be chosen. Sure he had the tragic past, the wallflower social life, and the preference for violent movies - but a killer? He was the skinny kid who could barely run a lap around the track field without almost fainting.

 

His father was working a late shift, so Stiles met with Lydia at the preserve. She was leaning against the door of her car, her arms crossed over her chest. Stiles got out of the Jeep, leaving his phone inside. He approached her, his hands in his pockets. “Your phone is in the car, right?” he asked.

 

“Yes, and I already know that our alibi is going to be hanging out together,” she added.

 

Stiles nodded. “Good, but if we don’t get caught we won’t need an alibi.”

 

Lydia rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. “So, what’s the plan?”

 

There was a smirk on his face, matching the fire in his eyes, as he explained the plan for the night. He gave her clothes to change into to disguise herself in the dark, and they started walking. 

 

Beacon Hills didn’t have many surveillance cameras - too expensive for the county - so they made sure to stay out of the areas that did have them. Stiles noticed the silent disgust that exuded from Lydia as they walked through a back alley, hiding in the shadows. He bit his tongue to keep from commenting on it. Instead, he whispered for her to ‘watch and learn’. 

 

There was a homeless man standing just outside the alley, smoking a cigarette. Stiles slowly and quietly advanced toward him. He pulled the man into the alley, covering his mouth with one of his gloved hands. He felt the adrenaline coursing through him as the man struggled to get out of his hold. He made sure he dragged the man close enough to Lydia so she could watch it all. He took the pocket knife he stole out of his pocket and shoved the blade directly into the man’s windpipe. He couldn’t help the groan of pleasure he let out as he watched the life drain from the man, feeling his body going limp.

 

Lydia was shocked to find out that the plan was to leave the body and the murder weapon at the scene. Stiles took the small amount of cash the man had and explained that it would just look like a random mugging, which it technically was. The weapon couldn’t be linked to him, he had made sure his DNA and fingerprints weren’t on it and that no one knew he had it. It wasn’t even his.

 

They walked back to the preserve, not uttering a word about what Lydia had watched Stiles do. Stiles couldn’t help but think about the fact that this was his first random kill. Sure, he had scoped the guy out for a bit before he decided for sure that he would be the victim, but he didn’t know the man. He knew the principal, had a reason for choosing him that wasn’t him being an easy target and having no one that would truly care to look for him. The rush he got wasn’t as satisfying as gutting the man that had said Scott was an incompetent student, but it was still there. Lydia needed to learn, and this was the best way to teach her.

 

When they got to the preserve, Stiles changed into the spare outfit he had brought in a duffle bag. He put the bloody clothes in the oil canister in the middle of the clearing as Lydia changed back into her own clothes. She approached him as he squirted lighter fluid on the cloth.

 

“How did you get lighter fluid without your dad noticing?” she asked.

 

He handed her to container, then struck a match. “Stole it,” he simply said as he dropped the match.

 

The flame spread quickly through the liquid and they both watched. “Not only are you a murderer, you’re a klepto,” Stiles turned his attention to her, and took note of the smile on her face.

 

They weren’t even suspects once the body was found. There were no witnesses, only the unlucky woman whose dog dragged her to the crime scene on a morning jog. Lydia didn’t even look at him at school, which was good. She kept her cover well. Part of Stiles had expected her to meet his eyes from across the cafeteria. Scott made a joke about Stiles intensely staring at her while they talked. “What’s going on with you today?” he asked after Stiles chuckled.

 

Stiles tore his eyes off of her. “There is no way in hell that her shirt fits the dress code. I mean, her shirt is so low cut that her boobs are probably just going to pop out at any wrong turn,” he decided to say. It was true, Lydia was wearing a particularly revealing camisole that day.

 

Scott rolled his eyes. “So you’ve just been staring at her chest the entire time?”

 

Stiles shrugged. “Just making sure she doesn’t have a wardrobe malfunction in the middle of lunch.”

 

Scott scoffed. “Yeah, I’m sure she really appreciates your concern. If she only knew you exist.”

 

“In due time,” Stiles smiled. Scott didn’t know that she’s wrapped around his finger, and what Scott doesn’t know can’t kill him. 

 

Lydia and Stiles didn’t kill anyone during the summer between freshman and sophomore year. Stiles spent all his time with Scott, pretending Lydia didn’t know him. Lydia however, was dealing with her parents and their divorce. She was stressed and on edge during the times Stiles had recieved texts from her. She told him that she was angry, her father was talking down to her and making her choose. Stiles would ask her if she wanted to  _ hang out _ and she would turn him down, saying she had plans. She and Jackson made plans a lot, went to parties and hung out in groups.

 

Stiles stayed in, he would watch movies with Scott and play his fantasy roleplaying game. He even had a guild. That was his summer, he acted completely normal. Well, as normal as his usual self was. 

 

Stiles overheard his father talking about half a body that was found in the woods. He silently wondered if Lydia might have made another mistake, but this time not with an animal. He felt his heart rate speed up and his breath hitch. His hands were shaking as he texted Lydia’s number. He hadn’t heard from her since the middle of July. It was August, the night before the first day of school.

 

**< < What have you been up to?**

 

He couldn’t think of a coded message that would make sense out of context. He couldn’t ask about a science project like he could during the school year.

 

**> > Planning my back to school party. Which you aren’t invited to.**

 

If he wasn’t invited, that meant she didn’t need him for their extracurricular activity. He knew that she didn’t like the idea of not working with him, he was good with planning. He took a deep breath as he typed his reply.

 

**< < Did you do any prep this summer for school?**

 

He hoped she understood the question. If she didn’t he would have to ask if she cut somebody in half, and he really didn’t like that idea.

 

**> > No. Why? Do you need help?**

 

He let out a sigh of relief. She understood. His father had already left. He was home alone.

 

**< < Call me.**

 

It took a few seconds for her to call. He answered immediately. “Are you somewhere private?” he asked.

 

“Yeah,” she replied.

 

“My dad just got called into work. There’s a dead body in the preserve,” his words were quick, but measured.

 

There was a moment of silence. “Did you think I did it?” 

 

Stiles sighed. “I know I didn’t. The thing is they didn’t find all of it, they’re out there looking for the other half.”

 

He heard her suck in a sharp breath. “Someone cut someone in half?”

 

“It’s not our mess. We don’t have to worry about it. I just… needed confirmation,” Stiles stated.

 

He could picture her nodding. “You’re right. So, I should get back to getting ready for bed. So should you.”

 

She hung up before he could say goodbye. He was used to this. The few times they had spoken on the phone she always hung up before a goodbye could be said. He just put his phone in his pocket and put his shoes on. He threw on a jacket and headed out of the house. 

 

The drive to Scott’s house was faster than usual. He was speeding, he could barely contain himself. He had to stop at a stop sign, so he dialled Scotts number. “C’mon… c’mon pick up,” he whispered as he waited. No answer. He sighed and called again. Still no answer. He put his phone back in his pocket and continued driving. He parked outside the house.

 

He realized he didn’t bring the copy of the McCall house key that he had made and decided he would just climb in through Scott’s window. He nearly fell as he tried to get on the roof of the porch. He cursed under his breath, and then pulled himself up. He took a moment to steady himself. He walked to Scott’s window only to see he wasn’t in his bedroom. He let out a huff of air, disappointed. Then he heard the front door open and footsteps. He hung upside down to greet Scott, only to be met with the sight of him wielding a bat. They both screamed. 

 

When they calmed down, Stiles got off the roof and explained why he came. Well, he left out all the stuff about Lydia. It didn’t take much convincing to get Scott to agree to come. When they were in the woods, Scott started asking questions and they both realized that Stiles didn’t have a plan beyond finding the body. 

 

They had to stop, seeing the flashlights of the search party. Stiles didn’t know what to do beyond making sure Scott didn’t get in any form of trouble. Since they had to do something, he decided he would be a good distraction so that Scott could get the hell out of dodge. Stiles could handle the police, specifically his dad.

 

His dad wasn’t even shocked by him being there, knowing that Stiles had a tendency to want to know about cases. He pulled him by his hoodie back to the trails, and then chastised him on the walk to the Jeep. “And you came out here alone? What the hell is wrong with you? We haven’t caught a suspect,” his father finally said as Stiles opened the door.

 

Stiles sucked in a sharp breath. “I wasn’t thinking, I guess.”

 

His dad sighed and scratched his head. “Go home, get some sleep,” Stiles gave him a thumbs up and then they parted ways. 

 

Stiles had no idea if Scott got home okay, and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried as hell. It was different knowing that there was someone like him that he didn’t know. He knew that Lydia would never harm anyone close to Stiles, but this unknown killer could cut Scott in half without a second thought. He only felt relief when he saw him at school. 

 

Scott got bit by something and he is so sure that it was a wolf. The only problem is that there are no wolves in California. Stiles thinks that maybe it’s his brain trying to cope with the trauma by making him think it’s a wolf. However that doesn’t make much sense. It could have been any other type of animal, why does he think it was a wolf?

 

Stiles jokingly suggests Scott is turning into a werewolf. He’s humoring him with the idea that it was a wolf. He does think that the changes Scott is explaining are odd. How did he know about the mint mojito gum that Stiles didn’t even know about? Would he be able to smell it if Stiles forgot to get blood out from under his fingernails? 

 

Stiles’ eyes caught on a man standing among the trees. Derek Hale. His breath hitches as he feels a surge of anxiety, he touches Scott to get his attention. The man has an aura of power and danger. Stiles doesn’t like that someone could make him feel uneasy.

 

Okay, so, maybe Scott actually is a werewolf. Stiles is convinced, completely, that Scott is a werewolf, actually. Stiles had tried to convince him not to go to Lydia’s party with Allison, but he got aggressive. Scott wasn’t the type to get aggressive. Stiles’ eyes widened when he saw the claw marks on the back of his chair. 

 

Since Stiles couldn’t get Scott not to go to the party, he would have to go to keep an eye on him. He even texted Lydia saying he was going to the party for Scott. She didn’t respond, so he took it as an okay. 

 

He didn’t even interact with her while he was there. He found a cozy spot inside and chatted with the other losers that were lucky enough to be allowed to be there. He kept watch of Scott through the window and his eyes met Lydia’s for a second. Then her eyes were on Scott. He didn’t miss the seduction on her face as Jackson kissed her neck. She was trying to wrap Scott around her finger, a power play due to his new-found skills with lacrosse. Stiles knows that she’s going to fail.

 

Stiles follows Scott home and fully realizes that he was right. Scott is a werewolf, and Scott is sure that Derek is one too. Derek killed the girl in the woods, and Stiles has a feeling he might have the same fate in mind for Allison. Scott jumps out the window and Stiles runs out of the house to his jeep. He gets to Allison’s house with no sign of Scott in the area. He wants to collapse in relief when he sees Allison is safe. Scott would be devastated and would blame himself if she wasn’t safe.

 

Stiles hates admitting that Derek scares him. He shouldn’t be scared of him, he’s taken lives and gotten away with it. He is, though. Derek isn’t human. He doesn’t need a knife, he has claws and fangs. He’s terrifying. Stiles feels like such a wuss when he isn’t able to keep up the charade of not being scared of Derek. 

 

When his father pulls him out of the front seat of the car Derek is being held in, Stiles realizes a perfect opportunity. “Do you think he could have killed the principal?” he decided to ask his father.

 

“I’ll look into it since it’s a possibility,” was the response. Then the sheriff went back to Dad Mode. He just wanted Stiles to stay out of trouble and to be safe. Stiles knows this, yet he still craves the thrill of being involved.

 

That night, after he and Scott separate, he goes to Lydia’s house. She’s home alone but he knows he can’t let her neighbors see him, so he parks the jeep a block away and sneaks through her backyard. He sends her a text, saying to let her dog out.

 

He waits and she opens the back door, her small dog running past her feet. She’s wearing pajamas and Stiles realizes this is the first time he’s seen her without makeup. “What was so important that you had to break into my backyard?” she asked.

 

“Derek Hale was arrested for killing that girl that was cut in half. I suggested to my dad that Derek might have also killed the old principal. I have the biggest urge to kill someone else and blame it on someone obvious and I need you to stop me.”

 

Lydia furrowed her brows and took a few steps closer. “Stiles, you can’t make any dumb mistakes. Mistakes are what get you caught.”

 

Stiles nodded and took a deep breath, looking at his trembling hands. “God I just want to snap someone’s neck and then gut them.”

 

Lydia grabbed his hands. Stiles met her eyes. She was so beautiful. He was glad that she understood him, that they had a connection. “You’ll get to do that eventually. You just can’t do it now. Derek is being held because he killed someone, so you have to wait until there’s no way for them to be connected.”

 

He knew she was being logical. He took a deep breath and nodded again. “I should go home before my dad calls Scott’s mom to ask if I snuck into her house.”

 

Lydia smiled and gave his hands a soft squeeze. He didn’t expect her to be so kind to him. It was probably because he was the only one that knew the real her. “Don’t do anything stupid. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

 

Lydia and Allison were best friends, Scott was dating Allison, so by association Stiles had a free pass to talk to Lydia at school. They talked as a group with Lydia’s clique, and they were able to talk one on one without looking suspicious. Jackson didn’t like Scott or Stiles, he found them both obnoxious and he hated the way Stiles looked at Lydia. They were sitting at the same lunch table now, and Stiles would watch Lydia as she pretended to be stupid and otherwise normal. Jackson would glare at him.

 

Stiles couldn’t bring himself to look at the way Scott and Allison talked and giggled as if they were the only people in the world. He wanted to shove his apple down Allison’s throat and watch as she choked, feeling her clawing at his arms as tears flowed down her face before she stilled. He knew he couldn’t do that, though. It would make both Scott and Lydia turn on him. Hurting Allison was off limits, no matter how much he wanted her to stop stealing Scott from him. Stiles did have one advantage; he was the only one to know Scott’s secret.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles struggles to deal with Scott's new relationship with Allison and new condition as a werewolf. Impulsive decisions are Stiles' strongsuit, but they don't do any favors for someone with his desires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more murders, jealous stiles, and the planting of seeds of an overarching plot ahead!

Scott’s secret? Very hard to keep secret if he wolf’s out on the lacrosse field. Derek was right about that. He nearly killed Stiles in the locker room before Derek was arrested. It was terrifying, and definitely tied into why Stiles was terrified of Derek. Since Derek had tried to get Scott to not play in the lacrosse game, Stiles decided to try to teach him control. 

 

Watching Scott get the shit beat out of him for doing something Stiles did caused his stomach to drop. He wanted to wring those guys necks, but he couldn’t. It was his fault anyways. Thankfully, Scott controlled his heart rate enough to not shift and attack everyone including Stiles. It wasn’t like Scott to do the things his condition could make him do. Stiles on the other hand? He definitely thought he could tear someone apart and feel good about it.

 

The only reason Scott was in this game was to win Allison over, so seeing her cheer on Jackson definitely fucked with him. Stiles had half a mind to scream at Lydia for making her do that but she didn't know how easily Scott could be set off. Plus, Stiles didn't care much for how much Allison affected Scott. He should be the one that's able to calm him down with a touch, not her. Stiles has known Scott practically their entire lives, and Stiles knows that Scott deserves only the best. Allison isn't what's best for him. Would she burn someone alive for doubting him? Stiles would.

 

When Scott wolfed out at the end of the game, making the winning goal and then bolting into the locker room, Stiles was definitely concerned. He made his way through the crowd trying to follow Scott, only to see Allison doing the same thing. Part of Stiles hoped that Scott would lose all of his control and kill her so he didn't have to, but he knew how much she means to him. So, he just lingered behind her, not getting too close.   
  
She called out to Scott as she entered the locker room. He took a deep breath as he listened from the doorway. There was a pregnant silence as he entered the locker room. Allison and Scott were talking, and as Stiles stopped and leaned against a locker, they kissed. Stiles squinted and sucked in a harsh breath. Watching this tender moment made Stiles’ heart pang with something that didn’t feel good. 

 

When she left she acknowledged him with a smile and he forced one of his own as he gave her an awkward wave. Then he approached Scott. He tried to push down whatever it was he was feeling as Scott smiled, talking about the kiss. This was the happiest Scott had been since he’d been bitten. The fact that Stiles wasn’t the one to make him smile like that is the reason he texted Lydia late that night.

 

**< < Can we study together this weekend?**

 

He was lying awake, staring at his ceiling and thinking about the fact that Derek was released from holding. He was no longer a suspect for the principals murder since he wasn’t even in the state when the principal went missing. They didn’t even have firm proof that the principal was murdered, having not found any evidence yet. The girl in the woods is being labelled an animal attack since they found wolf fur on her corpse. It also turns out that she was Derek’s sister. Quite the shocker.

 

It was late, Lydia should have been asleep. But she replied to him.

 

**> > I would love to**

 

He turned onto his side, a smile on his face. He put his phone on the nightstand and closed his eyes, finally letting sleep overpower him.

 

Thinking about his very loose plans with Lydia was a good distraction from having to think about how Scott’s new girlfriend is in a family of werewolf hunters. Things just keep getting more and more complicated everytime Stiles thinks about the whole werewolf situation. If he could go back in time, he would go to the night Scott got bitten and he would have stopped it from happening.    
  
Thankfully, it was a Friday. So, when Scott described his dream and then it turned out that someone had actually been attacked on the bus, Stiles wanted it to just be a coincidence. God, just please let it be a coincidence. He can’t have anything interfering with his plans for that weekend. Scott had run into Allison, meaning that his dream wasn’t exactly what happened, but that someone had been mauled. That person turned out to be the bus driver, and he wasn’t dead. Well, not yet.

 

At the lunch table, Lydia’s eyes met his and then she smirked as the subject changed to Scott’s date with Allison. Lydia invited herself and Jackson along with them. Stiles looked to Scott, who looked confused and disappointed. In a strange battle for dominance, Scott and Jackson made their bowling double date a challenge. There was just one problem.

 

“You suck at bowling,” Stiles said when it was just him and Scott.

 

Scott knew that, but Stiles didn’t want his best friends ego to be bruised. As much as he hated that Scott was paying so much attention to Allison, he wanted Scott to be happy. Which is also why he wasn’t going to kill the brunette girl. Stiles would make sure Jackson didn’t have the opportunity to make a fool of Scott, but killing Jackson was also off limits. Not only would it ruin any chance he has with Lydia, the Whittemore’s would make sure the boys murder was solved. So, he resigned himself to taking his anger out at something else.

 

After school he was alone. He contemplated doing his old daily routine of watching Lydia, but when he went to his regular snooping spot, he realized she wasn’t home. Not wanting to risk getting caught by the Argent’s, he didn’t check if she was with Allison. 

 

Stiles let out a sigh and went to the preserve. He was thankful his dad had gotten him an emergency tool kit for the Jeep just in case the duct tape couldn’t suffice. He was also thankful his dad was at work. He could clean up at home without the risk of his dad walking in.  There weren’t any cars nearby, but there was still a chance that someone was in the woods. If there wasn’t, he would just settle for an animal. 

 

He took a deep breath and grabbed the hammer from the tool box. He let his hand swing by his side as he walked through the forest. Going through the motions, staying off the trail, his body was guiding him. He was thinking about what he wished he could do, how he could make Scott and Lydia only pay attention to him. He imagined kissing Lydia as their hands were soaked in blood, Allison’s blood. He imagined Scott praising him for killing the principal, for killing Allison. He imagined Scott saying that it would be just them, that Scott wanted to take on the world with him. He knew none of these things would happen, but a guy could dream.

 

The sun was setting as he approached the clearing. His victim was standing by the empty oil canister, staying warm by the fire he started. He didn’t even notice Stiles as he got closer. Stiles adjusted his grip on the hammer and then raised it. He bit his lower lip as he swung, feeling a burst of energy as it his the base of the man’s skull. It caused the man to let out a loud noise and to stumble. He went to turn but Stiles kicked the back of his knee, making him collapse. Another hit to the back of the head and the man fell onto his side. 

 

Stiles was breathing heavily as he watched the man twitch until he finally fell still. It was refreshing to be alone, not having to worry about another person keeping it secret. It was still different, not having a motive beyond projecting his anger onto someone else. He knew it didn’t feel as good as it could have, but it still felt fucking amazing.

 

He walked back to the Jeep, putting the bloodied head of the hammer in a ziplock bag. He let it rest in his backpack, sitting in the passenger seat. The benefits of the hammer is the fact that he didn’t have to clean up as much as he would if he used a knife. There wasn’t a lot of blood on his hands. Sure it probably wasn’t the best idea to just leave the body where it was, but he didn’t have the time nor the motivation to do anything else with the man. 

 

When he finally got home, he put his backpack in his bedroom. He unzipped it and took the hammer out, making sure the gallon ziplock did it’s job and didn’t let the blood get on anything. It did, everything was fine. So, he went into the bathroom. 

 

As he turned on the faucet, he took the hammer out of the ziplock. He wasn’t entirely sure exactly how he was going to clean the hammer. His hands were shaking as he contemplated what to do. First, he rinsed it, making sure to also rinse the ziplock bag so he could reuse it. He quickly grabbed his body wash, pouring it onto his hand before he just lathered it onto the head of the hammer. This just wasn’t good enough, he knew this. He rinsed again, making sure he also rinsed his hands. The face and the claw of the hammer might have looked clean to the naked eye, but he knew it still had to be thoroughly cleaned. So he looked in the cabinet under the sink. 

 

He searched through the cleaners before he found Clorox with bleach and decided that should work. He heard a car pull into the driveway, so he quickly got too much toilet paper, sprayed the cleaner on the hammer and scrubbed. The toilet paper broke easily as he used it to clean the head, so he folded it and kept going until his dad walked through the front door. He quickly rinsed the head of the hammer again, just to be sure.

 

When he opened the bathroom door, he saw that his dad was in the kitchen. He held back the urge to tell him to stay out of the junk food as he hurried into his room, putting the hammer in his closet. Then he left his room, and greeted his dad. “Is it too much to ask about that bus driver?” he asked as he got a soda out of the fridge. 

 

His dad sighed as Stiles sat at the kitchen table. “It looked like he was gonna be fine, but before my shift ended I got word that he died in the hospital.”

 

Stiles sucked in a sharp breath, clacking his teeth loudly as he frowned. “Was he murdered?”

 

“No, he’d been through a lot. We were surprised he was even alive when we got there. Whatever got him really did a number. Too many animal attacks lately,” his father didn’t sound entirely convinced that it was an animal. But he didn’t sound like he knew what happened either. He just had that suspicious tone of ‘there’s something more to it’ that Stiles had grown accustomed to. “I shouldn’t even be telling you this.”

 

Stiles scoffed. “Dad I’m sixteen, I’d probably find this out on my own. I mean the press were quick to spread his identity before he even was sent to the hospital.”

 

His father nodded and gave a resigned sigh. “I’m not gonna share anything with you that you couldn’t figure out from a reporter. How about that?”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

Stiles snuck out that night, putting the hammer back in his tool box. He decided he didn’t need his Jeep for this little mission. So, he walked to the McCall house and climbed up, sneaking in through Scott’s bedroom window. He was greeted by a screaming McCall with a bat, again. God, can he catch a break?

 

Scott walks in and when Melissa asks if either of them care about the curfew, they both say no. Ah, Stiles has done a swell job influencing Scott. Melissa rolls her eyes and leaves them alone, and if Stiles weren’t about to share news about the new development in Scott’s life, he would have mistakenly said it reminded him of old times. Old times being two months ago, when Scott was just a normal kid and Stiles was the only one with a deadly secret. Well, that’s not counting his bond with Lydia who didn’t know about Scott. God, Stiles had a lot of secrets.

 

Stiles gave Scott the news about the bus driver, did his best to console him, and then left because Scott said he needed to be alone. Stiles bit his nails as he walked home, stopping when he noticed he missed a drop of blood under one of his nails when he was cleaning. He felt his heart skip as he wondered why Scott didn’t notice. Maybe he did and just didn’t question it. Next time he had to be a lot more careful with this. Scott could have noticed it.

 

When he got home he collapsed onto his bed and let his thoughts overpower him. He had to plan what he was going to do with Lydia. He couldn’t cancel on her, but he wasn’t entirely sure if he should get anymore blood on his hands in the near future. Scott could sniff him out like one of those police dogs. Plus he had to be more mindful of his time. He couldn’t risk his dad walking in like that again. 

 

Stiles realized he was running on luck. Sooner or later, something terrible is going to happen and it’s going to be because of something like today. If he’s going to go down for whatever they do tomorrow, he’s dragging Lydia down with him. 

 

He turned onto his side and turned on his phone. He wrote out a text, sending it to a number he never thought he would use.

 

**< < I’m studying with Lydia tmrw do u got any tips on how to get her to fall in love w me**

 

He felt more relaxed as he waited. Telling someone he was studying with Lydia definitely would look good in court considering that was the story they were going with. The conversation between them worked well. They said they were studying, telling people they’re studying is a good way to sell the alibi. 

 

**> > lmao i dont think itll take one study session to get her to fall for you stiles i mean she already has a bf**

 

Of fucking course Allison would say that.

 

**< < Idt she’s in love w Jackson**

 

**> > i actually agree**

 

That was… strange. He tilted his head and took a deep breath trying to think of a response. Before he could, he received another message.   
  
**> > its late i should go to bed good luck tmrw**

 

That was the first time Allison had actually had a conversation with him that wasn’t about Scott. During that conversation he discovered that they agree on something. He put his phone away and tried his best to sleep.

 

When Lydia arrived at his house, his father hadn’t yet left for work. So, they had to awkwardly sit on the couch and watch TV while they waited for him to leave. Lydia had her arms crossed over her chest, looking extremely bored. “Do you want me to change the channel?” Stiles asked, grabbing the remote.

 

Lydia sighed as canned laughter came from the television. “I don’t care,” her voice was flat as her eyes drifted to Stiles. 

 

Stiles raised his eyebrows. “What?” something within him screamed that he was making her uncomfortable. Something about this was too normal, too close to a friendship. Stiles blinked as Ashton Kutcher shouted ‘isn’t it obvious? It means I’m gay!’

 

Lydia tilted her head and inhaled through her nose. “You’re very different when we’re alone than when we’re at school,” it was a statement, layered with a question.

 

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Stiles asked, bringing his brows back down, now squinting.

 

Lydia shrugged and turned back to the TV. “We’ll see,” was her simple response.

 

Even in unfamiliar territory, Lydia knew how to take command of a room. They were practically alone, although Stiles knew his father must be eavesdropping, yet Lydia was in total control. Stiles thought he had her hooked, but it turns out that she still has him hooked. There was a reason he hadn’t stopped watching her through her window.

 

When the sheriff finally left the house, Stiles turned the TV off. He turned his entire body to look at Lydia. “Gonna be completely honest. Yesterday I beat the shit out of a homeless guy with my hammer, and I’m still kinda on edge because I nearly got caught taking care of the evidence.”

 

Lydia arched her brow. “You almost got caught? What happened to your whole ‘I can get away with anything’ schtick?”

 

Stiles huffed. “My dad came home sooner than expected. Everything was fine though. I just think I need to take a step back. I didn’t even have a fucking plan when I did it, I just saw him and wham his head’s caved in and I’m watching the fight leave him.”

 

Lydia nodded. “Didn’t you tell me that mistakes are what get you caught? It sounds like you can’t even follow your own murder rules,” there’s a playful smile on her face as she says this.

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. What I’m trying to say is that you’re gonna be the one to kill the person this time. I’m just going to observe, I need to make sure this doesn’t go haywire,” he explained.

 

They decided to wait until the sun went down, which didn’t take too long. They took the time to plan and make sure they knew what they were going to be doing. They also wanted to be sure they could be masked by the darkness. Stiles quickly grabbed his hammer from the Jeep and then went back inside. They had decided to walk so neither of their vehicles could be placed anywhere that wasn’t the Stilinski house. 

 

They sent everyone who would contact them a text saying they were turning their phones off to avoid distractions. Lydia had brought an outfit she had planned on getting rid of, saying it was out of season. She changed in the bathroom, and was still wearing heels when they snuck through his backdoor. Stiles rolled his eyes as he hid the hammer, the head pressing into his hip as the handle dangled between his thigh and the fabric of his jeans.

 

Lydia snorted at the awkward way he walked and he stopped, pulling the hammer out. He extended it to her, offering it to her. When she declined he made a face that said ‘then shut up’ before putting it in the sleeve of his jacket. The head of the hammer was in his hand while the handle matched the length of his forearm.

 

The walk set Stiles more on edge than before. He had forgot how fucking loud Lydia’s heels were. She never went anywhere without them, he didn’t know why he was so shocked she was wearing them. They went to the other side of town opposed to where they went last time, hiding in an alley just like last time. Stiles didn’t have time to scope out the local homeless population, so they were doing this completely randomly. 

 

He gave her the hammer and she hid it in the sleeve of her coat the same way he did. He saw someone look at them so he panicked, grabbing her hand and pulling her in for a kiss. His heart was hammering, but she was kissing him back. They separated and he felt realized he had been holding his breath. His hands were trembling as he let go of her. “Someone saw us I had to do something that wasn’t suspicious,” he whispered.

 

She nodded, taking a deep breath and glancing at her hand. “Completely understandable,” she replied. “Let’s just hope whoever it was didn’t recognize us.”

 

He rubbed his lips and took a step back. “I promise I won’t kiss you again without your permission.”

 

That finally got her to look at him. “Yeah. Okay,” her voice was small, her eyes seemed to be searching for something.

 

Stiles gave a stiff nod and pointed back with his thumb. “I’m gonna… hide, I guess.”

 

So he did. He crouched behind a dumpster, biting his nails as Lydia waited for anyone to approach. She had decided to hold her arm like she was injured, leaning against the wall. Stiles bit his lip as an older man stopped an approached her. 

 

“Ma’am are you alright?” he asked.

 

Lydia shook her head and grimaced. “Some guy grabbed me and I fell and hurt my arm. I got away before he could do anything else.”

 

The man was concerned, he put an arm around Lydia’s shoulders and started guiding her into the alley. They went further into the darkness, closer to Stiles. For some reason he felt like they were being watched. He shoved that anxiety down, and quietly watched Lydia. “I’ll keep you safe,” the man said in a way that made Stiles’ skin crawl. The man looked back, towards the entrance of the alley and then stopped.

 

Lydia kept her eyes on the man’s chest, he was uncomfortably close to her. “Really?” she whispered.

 

The man nodded and Stiles noticed a sickening grin on his face. His hand made a fist and he squeezed until his wrist tingled. He wanted to go over there and snap the man’s neck. He couldn’t. It was Lydia’s turn. She leaned her head against the man and feigned a sigh. 

 

Stiles watched as the hammer dropped from her sleeve. She was quick the catch the handle. She brought the hammer into the mans sight. “I’m glad it was you that asked if I was okay,” she said, a smile on her face.

 

The man was frozen, his arm no longer around Lydia. “Let’s not doing anything we might regret,” he said, raising his hands in a gesture to say he means no harm.

 

Lydia turned, but Stiles could hear the satisfaction in her voice as she said “I won’t regret this,” before swiftly and forcefully lodging the claw of the hammer in the man’s head. He dropped to his knees as blood splattered on Lydia. She let out a satisfied huff of air as she let go of the hammer. She pressed her heeled foot on his chest as she pulled the hammer free.

 

Stiles moved quickly, taking the gloves from his pocket and putting them on his hand. He gave her the scarf she had specified would be used for cleanup and then burned. Then, he carefully grabbed any hair from Lydia that got on the man’s shirt and coat. Lydia wiped her face and neck before covering the head of the hammer with the scarf. Then, they quickly lurked in the shadows of the alley, scoping out any quick exit they could.

 

Stiles was thankful that the area they chose didn’t have much of a scene, let alone much option of who they could have killed. Their escape from the scene of the crime went a lot smoother than Stiles’ anxiety anticipated. They made it to Stiles’ backyard without getting caught by anyone. They went inside, and Stiles went directly to the bathroom. He told Lydia to change in his room, he had to clean the hammer. 

 

He used the same technique as before; soap, water, and a bleach cleaner. When he was sure the hammer was clean, he made sure his hands were clean. Lydia came into the bathroom, carrying her bloodied old clothes and reluctantly used wet toilet paper to make sure her face and neck were completely blood free, and then washed her hands. 

 

After they both were clean, Stiles put the hammer back in the Jeep, and then they both stood in the backyard. They put the bloodied clothes in a pile, which Stiles soaked in stolen lighter fluid. Lydia did the honors of lighting the match and dropping it. They watched as the fire destroyed the pile of fabric. For once Stiles was thankful his backyard was patchy. Well, aside from all the times he buried dead birds in the patches of dirt.

 

Lydia had her arms crossed over her chest, Stiles had his eyes on her through his peripheral. Her eyes were trained on the flames. Stiles was holding a glass of water. “You can tell Scott we kissed, but if Allison or Jackson find out and it’s not from me, I’ll tell everyone that you’re a creepy stalker who tried to rape me.”

 

Stiles scoffed. “What makes you think I would tell either of them?”

 

Lydia looked at him. “I meant that you have to make sure Scott can keep a secret,” there was an innocent smile on her face. “See you at school,” she gave him a pat on the shoulder, and then went through the backdoor into the house. Stiles poured the glass of water onto the fire, and stomped on the crisp remains of the fabric. He smiled as he heard her car leave his driveway.


End file.
